Sol's Story: The Search for the Clans
by Raven1227
Summary: Sol must face great dangers and confusing situations to find the cats who are as fierce and loyal as wolves, as sharp as foxes, and as strong as lions... the cats who can jump as high as the stars... the Warriors of the Clans.
1. Chapter 1

_**Sol's Story: The Search for the Clans**_

**Chapter One**

**Sol:**

When I was just a kit I lived with my mother and Paw and Whisker, my brother and sister. My mother always used to tell us stories about the fierce wild cats that lived in the forest in groups that they called Clans. I always wanted to find them and become just like them. I admired their never ending courage and their strength. I wanted know that someday I would lose my life, but know that I would die a hero after many moons of protecting my clan mates, willing to give my life for them. After life got harder, my father abandoned us to live with another mate. I always felt that he didn't really like me or me littermates, so I didn't understand why our mother was so devastated after he left. After a while, we came to understand how much our father did for us, but by then our mother was planning something that we did not know about. I promised her that I would find the clans and they would help us survive in this cruel world, but she told me that they were just stories, that I would never find them. That was when she put her plan to action and just left us there, each on the doorstep of a different twoleg's house. That was when I realized that there must be some good in the world. I realized that maybe the clans really did exist. I never thought about trying to find them, just like I thought that I would never find my littermates again, never sleep in a warm nest with them again… until now.

I felt the warm sun against my fur as I walked out into the garden. I hated twolegs, but at least they gave me food, water, and a place to sleep. However foul smelling the bed was, however terrible the food tasted, or however slimy the water was, I was happy to have a place to live. As I drank in the smell of actual nature, I caught a scent I thought I would never smell again. "Who's there?" I asked. I heard a rustle among the bushes that lined the yard. "Who is it? Show yourself!" I called out into the open. I decided that whoever it was, it couldn't be who I thought it was. I padded back into the house and sat on the soft fabric of my nest. My mouth felt dry, so I lapped up a few drops of water, forcing myself not to gag at the unusual texture. A cool draft was swept into the house through the door through which I had exited. I pushed it with my head and closed it almost completely. I had never figured out how to open a door or how to shut it, but I knew how to close it far enough. Bounding up to the windowsill, I gazed up at the darkening sky. Clouds had started to cover the sun earlier, and now they were closing over the whole sky, threatening to burst with rain. I stifled a yawn and went up the stairs to the blue box that I was supposed to make dirt in. When I had finished, I went back down the stairs to go to sleep.

The next morning I awoke to the chirping of the birds outside the house and I wished I had learned how to catch one. I blinked in the bright sunlight and looked outside. It had rained the night before, but the water on the ground was almost completely gone. I leaped onto the windowsill and ducked under the space between the bottom of the window and the windowsill to jump to the ground. A lithe cream-colored she-cat was sniffing around the yard when I padded around the corner of the house. She looked up when she heard me. "No, it can't be." She breathed. She bounded up to me and looked into my eyes. "Who are you?" I asked her. For a few moments neither of us said anything, but both of us had a vague idea of who the other was. She just kept staring at me. "Sol?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Whisker:

I stared at the tortoiseshell cat. I hadn't seen Sol in twelve seasons and I could not believe my eyes. Could it really be him? He looked at me incredulously. "who are you?" he repeated, a confused look forming on his face. "how do you know my name?" he asked me. I could almost hear the thoughts going through his head. '_who is this cat? why is she talking to me? I wish she would just leave and stop staring at me like that.'_"My name is Whisker." I told him. He just stared at me, the confused look in his eyes growing. "I don't know anyone called Whisker. Please leave me alone." He mewed, turning away from me. My heart dropped like a stone and I was just starting to bound away when he finally realized who I was. "Wait, don't leave!" he called out to me. I turned back to him and he stared at me, as if he was trying to remember why he recognized me. "Whisker?" He meowed. "Is that you?" He started to pad toward me again. He just stood there for a moment, his eyes filling with wonder, the confusion on his face turning to joy. "I... I'm so sorry. I just couldn't believe that it was actually you, so I tried to push you away.". He mewed apologetically. We heard a yowl behind us. I looked up to see a twoleg standing in the doorway to Sol's house. "I'd better go. I'll see you here at the same time tomorrow and we can talk." He murmured, and with that, he padded away into his house. My heart felt lighter, somehow, and so did my paws. I bounded away, retreating into the forest. It seemed strange to have a forest so close to this many twolegs. There were seven twoleg houses next to the forest. I lived there, depending on the consistency of prey for food, and the moss growing on the trees for bedding. There were no threatening creatures in the forest, like the foxes, badgers, or adders in the stories I had heard from my mother when I was just a kit. I had lived in the wild for seven seasons, and I had always liked it better than living with those filthy twolegs that my mother had left me with. Sol lived with twolegs who were kind, but I used to live with twolegs that hated me. They had struck me with those great big dirty paws of theirs, and had almost never fed me or gave me clean water. I escaped from them, and I learned to fend for myself. It hadn't been very hard to escape. The twoleg had always drank some vile smelling amber liquid that made him act even worse than he had before, but it also made him more ignorant of things around him. I loved it out here in the forest, but I had thought for a long time that I would like to live with the Clans. I had wanted to live with the cats who were as fierce as lions and as sharp as foxes, the cats who could jump as high as the stars for as long as I could remember. I sped back to my home in the forest, a large den that was built from brambles. When I was about half way there, I lapped up a few drops of water from the small stream near my den. The cold, refreshing taste made me shiver, but it restored my strength. When I had finally got home, I chose a warm, fresh mouse from the pile of prey in the corner of my den, and devoured it, licking my whiskers when I had finished. Hearing a rustling in the trees behind my den, I carefully picked my way around my nest and peered around the den. "Who's there?" I called out. "Who is it?" I crouched down, then pounced on the bush, bringing a yowling cat out with me. "Please leave me alone!" the small silver and white tom pleaded with me, his green eyes filled with fear. "Please don't hurt me!" I stared at him. "Paw? Is that you?" I asked in wonder. He stared at me, shaking a few leaves from his pelt. "Whisker?" He looked into my eyes. He shook his head, as if shaking the thought from his mind. "No, it can't be. You can't be Whisker. She lives with a twoleg." He told himself. "No, Paw, it's me. I came to the forest after I escaped from the twoleg I lives with." I shuddered, just imagining what it would be like if I still lived with the vile creature. "Then it's really you. Where is Sol?" he asked, his eyes starting to fill with anger. I wondered why he was so mad at Sol. "Where is the cat who betrayed me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Paw:**

I felt so angry that I could just burst. I stared into Whisker's dark violet eyes, but I only saw confusion. "Why are you so angry, Paw? Do you want to hurt Sol?" She asked, fright creeping into her calm expression. "What? He didn't tell you?" I asked wonderingly. "He didn't tell you how he tried to_ kill _me? Whisker, if you've been meeting him, I have to tell you not to do it again. He'd dangerous. He tried to kill his own brother! I don't want anything to happen to you, that's why I'm doing this. Please understand." I stared at her, willing her to agree, but my wishes were not enough to waver her strong soul. "I will never believe that Sol killed someone. If you are trying to keep me away from my brother, I don't know you at all." She hissed, glaring at me as if I were lying. I was telling the truth in my mind, but what she thought was not to be changed by me. "Leave this forest and never return." She growled. I stood my ground. That was the mistake I wish I hadn't made. "Get out of here, you piece of fox dung!" She yowled. "I wish I'd never met you! I don't want you here, and I would not argue with me if I were you!" I stared at her. This was not the kind, easygoing cat I had just met. This was just a spitting ball of hatred. I gave up my hope of convincing her. She would never believe me unless Sol admitted it himself. I stayed there a few moments too long, and that was my second mistake. She leapt at me, snarling. I felt her claws scrape against my side and I smelled the sharp tang of fresh blood. I struggled out of her grasp and bolted out of the forest. When I had gotten out of the forest, I bounded all the way back to my home by the river, not stopping to look back even for a second. I ran past the stables, feeling the hot breath of the horses against my whiskers, and I finally got to my home. I had a beautiful den that was made from reeds and decorated by seashells. I loved it by the river. I had learned to swim and how to fish for food. I loved the taste of trout and the freshness of the water. I had no threatening creatures to fear by the lake, no foxes, and no badgers. I had encountered both in my lifetime, and I hoped I would never have to. I had been frightened when I saw Whisker. I hoped that she and Sol hadn't formed an alliance against me or something. I didn't even know why Sol hated me enough to try to kill me. What had I ever done to him? When he attacked me, his eyes were black pits of hatred, and I was so afraid. I knew how to fight other creatures, but even if they threatened me, I could never fight my siblings. I hated that I had that weakness, and was angry at myself for not standing up to Whisker. I had known them when we were kits, but I no longer understood who they were. I just felt alone, but never felt completely alone. No one could ever feel overcome by loneliness when they were with Oak. She was my mate. She knew me best, and she always knew the right thing to say. I loved her with all of my heart. She and I were like fish and the river. One could not be the same without the other. I knew that I would always love her, and when I was with her, I never felt alone, and all of my troubles were just washed away, out of my mind when. "Paw, is that you? You're back so soon!" Oak's voice cut into my thoughts. "Hello, Oak. How are the kits?" I asked. Our kits Pine, Rain, Moth, and Dragonfly were our kits, only a half of a moon old. "They're fine, but they really missed you. They're just in the shallows of the river playing right now." Oak told me, shaking clear droplets of water from her silver fur. I looked over at the river to see Rain and Moth wrestling in the sand. "Go, Rain! Kill the nasty old fox!" Dragonfly yowled. "Who are you calling a nasty old fox?" Moth growled, shaking Rain from her golden brown pelt and sending the tiny gray kit sprawling in the sand as she leapt at Dragonfly. "I am!" Dragonfly mewed, letting loose a _mrrow_ of laughter. Moth leapt at the her, and the two biggest kits wrestled for a while until Pine started to swim in circles around them. "I'm getting dizzy." Moth complained. "Yeah." Dragonfly agreed. "Stop it, Pine." Rain whined. The four kits raced back to their mother. They noticed me at that moment, and they all jumped on me. "What are you four doing?" I asked. "We have to drive away the big scary badger!" Pine growled, shaking sand off of his brown pelt and pummeling me with his tiny white paws. "Okay, who's hungry?" I asked. "Me! Me!" They all answered. "Father, can we have some trout?" Pine asked, staring up at me with huge pleading amber eyes. "I'll see what I can catch." I replied, and hurried over to the river while Oak lapped at her kits' dirty pelts. I had a good life, but I still had something that I had to do. Something important. I had to confront Sol.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Sol:**

I ran back to my twoleg's house, my paws trembling with excitement. I had finally found my sister again! I just couldn't help but wonder where I could find Paw. A ball of fright pained my stomach. I was worried that something happened to him. Maybe he had gotten attacked by an enemy creature like a badger or fox. Maybe he was somewhere out there, close by, still searching for his long lost littermates. I pushed the feeling away and decided to plan my escape. I realized that I was already out, so I could probably get out again just as easily, but my hope vanished as soon as I returned to my twolegs's house. I ran inside, but the twoleg shut the door at once. I tried to turn back, but he just wouldn't let me. Frightened, I ran towards the door in the back, but it was also closed. What would I do? I cried out in pain as my paw got trapped in between the window and ledge as the twoleg slammed it down. As I looked around I noticed the twoleg kit who lived with me making a strange wheezing noise. I was worried. When I was distracted, the twoleg grabbed me. I clawed his face, but he just wouldn't let go. Then he shoved me into a hard box. I scratched the cold metal surrounding me, but it wouldn't give out. I was terrified. I looked around and realized that I had been put into the belly of a monster. The stink of the monster surrounded me and I gagged from the odd scent. I decided that the struggle was useless. I wouldn't be able to get out. A while later I realized that I had somehow dozed off. They were taking me out of the monster and carrying me to a strange building. Was it another cutter? I didn't know, but I could tell that I wouldn't like it. I was put into a different box right away, one that I could see out of easily, unlike the other horrible box. I took a pace backward and slammed into the hard, cold metal. I repeated that action and was stepping back again when I heard a voice behind me. "It isn't worth trying. I did the same thing for a few hours, but it didn't give." I looked around and saw that the voice was coming from behind me. A thin grey cat was lying down in his cage, looking defeated. "I don't mean to sound rude, but… who… who are you?" I asked. I heard mews all around me and I discovered that I was surrounded by cages that were inhabited by all sorts of cats. "My name is Graystripe. I was a Warrior of ThunderClan before I was captured. I have lost everything. I lost my mate when she was giving birth to our half-clan kits, I lost my kits when I was captured, I lost my best friend and leader, Firestar. I even lost my home. Now it's my turn to ask you. Who are you?" I stared at him. "I'm Sol. I was left by my mother and siblings, but after I was left on the porch of a twoleg, I was taken here." He stared at me as if I was crazy. "You're a kittypet?" he asked me. "Yes, I am. I hate living with twolegs though." I replied. "What's a porch?" He said. "umm… the thing in front of a door…?" I explained hesitantly. He didn't know what a porch was? Then what he had said earlier finally sunk in. "You're a _warrior?!_" I asked him, leaping up from the floor of the cage. "Yes, I am." He replied. "Why are you so surprised?" he asked. "Aren't the warriors fierce, and loyal, and as strong a s lions?" I asked him, feeling puzzled. "Lions? I don't think so. We are strong, though. And at least ThunderClan is fierce and loyal. I wouldn't say so about ShadowClan or RiverClan. WindClan is okay, I guess. And only one RiverClan cat was all of that. Her name was Silverstream. I hate to say this, but she's…she…well, she's…gone." He said, his voice trembling. I felt pity creeping into my expression. I tried to push it away, but it stayed. Graystripe saw what I was feeling and he started to get angry. "I don't need you pity! Stop talking to me! A kittypet like you won't even understand! Just leave me alone. Please." He exploded. I shrank back into the shadows and wished that I had never been brought there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

**Sol:**

Why was this cat being so stubborn? If all warriors were like this, I was no longer desperate to find them. I looked back at Graystripe in annoyance, but when I saw his face properly, my anger faded at once, to be replaced with wonder. Why did he look so much like my mother? I just couldn't figure it out. The resemblance was too much for me to bear. I quickly looked away, a lump rising in my throat. I missed Cinders so much that it hurt my heart to think about her. I missed Paw, too. Why did I keep thinking about all of these things? They were definitely not going to help me escape this rancid place. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and examined the smooth, cold metal. I notice a small latch attached to the outside, and I sniffed it. It didn't smell any different from the rest of the cage. I stuck my paw out of one of the gaps between the bars, and tried to move the latch, and it lifted. The cage door moved a few inches. If I could only move the door a few more inches, it would be wide enough to let me out! I heard a jingling sound, and the door of the room opened. Two identical twoleg kits ran inside, followed by a bigger twoleg. The big twoleg yowled, and one of the kits made a strange squealing noise, running toward my cage. It grabbed my paw, and I pulled away automatically. The younger twoleg started to yowl. The sound of it hurt my ears, and I shrank away. It continued to make the loud, annoying noise until the big twoleg handed it something small and orange. The kit grabbed it and stuffed it into its mouth. I realized that I wouldn't be getting out until they left. The room began to darken, suddenly, and I heard the _pitter patter _of rain splashing on the hard concrete outside. The bigger twoleg ran out of the shop,muttering, and was soon followed by the twoleg kits. A huge twoleg came into the shop through another door, and locked the door that the other twolegs had used to leave. Thunder crashed outside, and I saw a streack of lightning flash across the sky. The large twoleg touched a square of plastic attached to the wall and the room was suddenly dark. I saw my opportunity, and lifted the latch a little higher than last time, but the door didn't move. I pushed the door with my head and the door swung open. I leapt out of the cage, and raced over to Graystripe's cage. I lifted his latch with my paw, and told him to push with his head. He obeyed, looking incredulous, but jumped out of his cage with a surprised look in his eyes when the door opened. Together, we ran around the shop freeing the other cats. When everyone was out of their cage, we all sped over to the windowsill. I had planned this all earlier. The large twoleg had left the window open just a crack, and when four of us pushed, the window opened entirely. We held it up for the other cats, and then raced out ourselves. A light brown tom cat yowled in pain. I looked back to see his neck trapped under the window. He had gotten caught when the window slammed down! A small grey she cat raced over to him. "Mousepelt!" she exclaimed, fear in her eyes. "It's okay, Willowfur. It was my time to die. Take care of the kits." He murmured. "No! Please, Mousepelt. Please don't leave me alone. You were all I had left, after Minnowheart left us. I don't know what to do without you." She whispered. "You have to let me go, Willowfur." Mousepelt said, with confidence. "I know you can live without me. You're strong enough." My heart was pounding. It was only then that I realized that Willowfur's belly was bulging with unborn kits. I had to do something to save their father. I ran toward them, and tried to lift the window, but I couldn't do it alone. "Someone, please help me!" I yowled. No one was listening. They were all frozen, fear in their eyes. "Can you at least name one of the kits?" Willowfur forced the words from her mouth. Mousepelt's eyes were glazing over, but I heard one last word, whispered with all of his remaining strength. "Larchkit" he breathed out. Willowfur buried her nose in his warm fur. "We can't leave him here." She mewed. "I know. Graystripe, can you help me lift this window?" I asked him. "Window…?" he meowed confusedly. "The glass." I said, pointing my tail toward the shiny, cold substance. "Oh. Okay." He said blankly. He padded over to me and took some of the window's weight from me. Together we lifted the window, and Willowfur dragged Mousepelt's body from under the window, leaving a trail of blood after her. A few other cats helped her lift her dead mate's body onto her back, and we all continued our escape.

Graystripe stayed close to Willowfur. "I notice that you carry a strange resemblance to my… lost mate, Silverstream." He mewed. "Yes, she was my sister." Willowfur replied. "But all of her littermates are dead." Graystripe insisted. "You can't be her sister." Willowfur's eyes filled with Sadness. "We were alive. We were buried alive." She choked out. "We dug ourselves out and escaped. Minnowheart and I. We chose our own warrior names. Mousepelt was from Windclan. His parents were also the parents of a Thunderclan cat named Windflight. He is half-clan, and he escaped from the clans when he was just a kit. He also chose his own warrior name." She explained. "We have been searching for the clans ever since we met each other." "So am I!" Graystripe exclaimed. Do you want to find our home together?" he asked her. "Yes, I would." She agreed. "I will go with you, too. I am searching for the clans as a fulfillment of a promise to my mother. She is also gone." I told them. And from there, we set out on our search for the clans.


End file.
